India's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
Just days ago, the visiting team inflicted upon India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The winning rhythm built over the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the futures of a number of cricketers - including head coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Fades Quickly
The young team's commendable display in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a successful handover after the close together departures of stalwarts R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the domestic season strengthened that view, before the Proteas arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
India were somewhat unlucky that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the highly disappointing display in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and multiple individuals hoping for extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not up to the mark - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second whitewash on home soil endured by the Indian team in just over a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had secured a surprising 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a spot in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage the team's prospects of reaching the final of this cycle too.
After being third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, India have fallen to fifth place. Although nine further games are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - including against the mighty Aussies. Yet the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
India's frailty in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. That said, the reason India have struggled so much in Tests on home soil in recent times is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an aberration.
Now, India appear to be beatable in their own backyard.
Facing New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to help their style backfired spectacularly, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the home team's players when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that India is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to quick wickets to train the squad to perform better overseas.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars play, has taken away the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would present to them before.
While there is some truth in each argument, it fails to account for why India's performances at home have seen such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to various flaws post India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the team.
Players like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - fell short in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to claim wins.
Management Questions
The post-mortem didn't spare the entire setup - selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, fuelled by disappointed supporters and critical former players. At the centre of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
